Jeremy Paxman will officially stand down from his role as host for BBC's University Challenge after spending nearly 29 years as the face of the show.
The 72-year-old has presented the show since 1994 and will film his last episode this autumn with his final series airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from Monday, August 29 through to summer 2023. University Challenge prides itself on being Britain's longest-running quiz show, celebrating its 60th year in 2022.
The BBC has stated that Paxman's successor will be announced later this week. In a statement, Paxman said: “I’ve had a blast hosting this wonderful series for nearly 29 years.
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"I’ve been lucky enough to work with an amazing team and to meet some of the swottier brains in the country. It gives me hope for the future.”
Peter Gwyn, Executive Producer of University Challenge, said: "Jeremy has been our presenter, colleague and friend for twenty-eight years, and everyone on the University Challenge production team will miss him greatly. He'll be sorely missed too by both our audience and by the generations of students who've relished the chance to pit themselves against him in more than a thousand matches."
Kate Phillips, BBC’s Director of Unscripted, says: “Since the BBC revived University Challenge in 1994 Jeremy has been at the front and centre of the show’s success and is without doubt one of the world’s finest, and most formidable quizmasters. We are hugely grateful to Jeremy for his dedication to the programme for an incredible 28 years, he will be much missed by us all and the show’s millions of viewers.”
It comes after Paxman revealed in May 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. At the time, he said: "I can confirm I have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I am receiving excellent treatment and my symptoms are currently mild."
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects different parts of the brain. According to the NHS, it can result in tremors, slowness of movement and muscle stiffness.
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